Untitled
by liatli-1228
Summary: Takes place abou midway through Season 2 Episode 1: Ryan goes to Portland to bring Seth home.


**Title**: Untitled

**Author**: Liatli1228

**Rating**: PG, I think

**Pairing**: I'd like to say Seth/Ryan, but it's kind of neutral.

In Seth's mind, after Ryan had left he had sailed and sailed until he had reached Tahiti, where he had met a Kiera Knightley look alike but with bigger breasts and they had whiled away the summer developing stellar tans and making lazy love in a romantic beach bungalow.

In reality, after Ryan had left, Seth had ended up in woodsy Portland with Luke and his gay dad. Symbolism? Maybe. Ironic? Most definitely.

And, all in all, it hadn't been a bad summer, what with the sailing and the grilling and all. But too often his mind had returned to the contented pace of the year before, and he began to hate Ryan for leaving. Every time he thought of him, a tiny fist of rage curled in his belly and his throat tightened with the urge to scream and, most embarrassing of all, tears burned in the backs of his eyes.

But when Ryan showed up looking miserable and just like home, the rage fled and all Seth really wanted was to reach out and hug him. His fingers itched with it, but he refused, keeping his hands tucked deep into his pockets.

It frustrated him that he couldn't stay angry with Ryan, how one look at those sad blue eyes and the messy blonde hair and those arms made him want to simply curl into the curve of where Ryan's shoulder met his neck and stay there for oh, the next century or so.

"Your parents need you. Come home, Seth." He was referring to Newport, but what he had really meant was _**I** need you. Come back to **me**._

They didn't speak in the taxi to the airport and they boarded the plane in silence, but as the plane pulled out to the runway and began to take off, Seth laid his hand palm-up on his thigh and Ryan took it gratefully, lacing his fingers with Seth's long, bony ones and holding tight and he didn't let go until the plane taxied into Orange County Airport.

They both just stared out opposite windows as the taxi left the airport, but when they started to approach Newport and the long, easy lines of Seth's body began to tense, without a word, Ryan laid his hand palm up on the seat between them and Seth took it without looking at Ryan, but squeezed it gently in thanks.

Newport hadn't changed a bit, Ryan was relieved to see, but as they approached the Cohen manse on the hill, suddenly, he couldn't breathe and he was squeezing Seth's hand in a death grip and his heart was thundering so loud in his ears that he didn't hear Seth calling his name, "Ryan. Ryan. Ryan" until Seth had gripped Ryan's chin and forced his face toward him and repeated, "Ryan" in that clear, all-Seth voice of his.

And Seth's fingers on his jaw were hot, fiercely hot, and his eyes were steady, comforting brown, and his mouth was a firm line of red where he had been chewing on his lips. And Ryan glanced down at their entwined fingers, Seth's long and pale, his tanned and work-rough. And back up to Seth's face, the brown of his eyes a bit concerned, lush red of his mouth pulled down at the corners.

And Ryan wanted to just wipe that worry off of Seth's face because it didn't suit him. Not like snarky comments and self-involved rambling did, so he offered Seth a steady grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

But as the taxi pulled to a stop, the shutters went down and then he was In Control. He swung himself out of the car, pulling his duffel with him to trek slowly up the sloping driveway to his own version of heaven.

It was a good three and a half minutes before Seth joined Ryan in the foyer where Sandy and Kirsten were hugging him and Kirsten was kissing him and thanking him for bringing her son home.

And Ryan shook his head furiously at the thanks because he wanted to tell them it hadn't been for them, but he clung and clung because his own mother had never hugged him quite like that. Like he was the center of her world and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to hug him and to love and be loved by him, so instead he mumbled, "He wouldn't have come if he didn't want to."

But Sandy beamed at Ryan as Seth stepped in the door for the first time in months and still, Kirsten didn't let go, but she wrapped one skinny arm around Seth and pulled him into her, pulled Ryan into her so they were huddled together like football players, only Seth's face was buried in Kirsten's neck and Ryan's nose was in Kirsten's hair and Seth was gripping the back belt loop of Ryan's jeans and Ryan had never felt so at home.


End file.
